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been here earlier, one at a time, had described it to Fenn, add-ing that no vivifer could convey the real
experience. He was delighted when an invitation came also to him, and promptly took flight forAfrica .
What he was witnessing did not disappoint.
Of course, most of his attention stayed with Maherero. Slender, his face looking almost youthful despite
the woolly gray above, casually dressed in a loose robe and sandals, this high councillor of the Southern
Coagency had received him like an equal and discoursed easily, affably. Nevertheless, Maherero spoke
for the allied com-merce of a dozen polities, whose interests spread around Earth and out to Luna.
After the polite sociabilities, he had gotten to the subject.of Mars and what Fenn had learned there. He
seemed to care less about the specifics, which he could take from the databases, than about personal
events and impressions tiny, jagged Deimos; Mars huge in its sky; silence, stars, a meteoroid strike; the
companionship only of machines; towns, fields, wildernesses on the planet; people.
"And the growing factionalism, possible civil strife, how do you think it may affect your undertaking?" he
asked.
"I've reported my knowledge and my opinions about the engineering," said Fenn. "I'm no socioanalyst."
A translator on the table converted the language of either speaker to that which the other had chosen.
However well synthesized, its voice sounded flat to him above the rich-ness of Maherero's tones.
"I did not request a logico-mathematical abstraction, but a human judgment."
Fenn smiled. More than ever, he liked this man. After a sip of gin and tonic, he replied, "Well, then, I'd
say ignore the whole Threedom problem."
"Even if it becomes a crisis?"
"Balloon-puff word, 'crisis.' Look, the Deimos oper-ation will start small, and remain small for years. A
single base on Mars, which can be at the antipodes of Tharsis if we want. A few scattered mines and
processing plants, but mostly the established Martian industries would love to contract for the jobs we
need done, the stuff we need built. So who cares if there's a spat of fighting some-where else? How can
it touch us? By the time we're .ready to commence on the moon, everything will be long since settled and
half forgotten."
"Hm." Maherero stroked his chin. "I had the emo-tional factor more in mind. Your Lahui will be working
in dangerous environments totally strange to them. Rage, grief, pity are apt to cloud reason and drag
down alert-ness. How stressful will they find it to be on a world where organized violence is taking
place? Yes, none will happen in their vicinity, but it will be on the news and in every consciousness."
"The Lahui aren't tender-gutted. Oh, sure, nobody will enjoy the situation, if it hasn't been resolved well
before they get there. But they're fishers and herders; they live close to nature, where everything feeds on
something else. And those who go will be picked for ability to con-centrate on their work, among other
traits. Likewise the Martians they'll be dealing with."
"But what if events spill out beyond the volcano land, perhaps into space itself? Suppose, for example,
those mysterious Proserpinans decide to take a strong hand?"
"Suppose they don't. They're few, and a long ways away, and have plenty to keep them busy closer to
home. Anyhow, you people won't have to cope with it. You'll be here on Earth, developing your seas."
That was the bargain for which the Lahui Kuikawa leaders hoped, their expertise and guidance in oceanic
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enterprises as the con-dition of Coagency support for their Mars endeavor.
"We have to be reasonably careful," Maherero said. The mildness of his words did not deceive Fenn.
The dance leader understood too, and the drumbeats slowed to a surflike growl. "The investment you
want from us is very substantial." He leaned partly across the table. His dark eyes probed. "Given the
fact that the Synesis generally disapproves of your scheme, how much help can you expect in an
emergency? We are not the mem-bers who could provide it. How well could your teams do by
themselves, thrown on their own resources?''
"I think they'd manage. But I've told you, sociody-namics is outside my scope." Fenn stiffened. "I will
just say this. Nobody can forecast the future. If somebody isn't willing to meet it as it comes, he should
get out of the way of those who are."
Maherero sat motionless. The drums and whistles went silent, the dancers froze, the birds fluttered down
onto their shoulders. Dismay stabbed through Fenn. What of-fense had he given?
Then Maherero threw back his head and laughed aloud. "Bravo!" he cried.
Fenn stared. Sir?''
The African sobered. "Forgive me," he said. "I have not been playing games with you. My task has been
to meet with the chief actors in this affair and try to gauge what kind of human beings they are. That
information was to enter into our decision, a subtle but real factor."
So that's how this society thinks, Fenn reflected at the back of his mind. "And ?"
"The factual analyses were already favorable. Quite possibly we would have agreed in any case. But
now I can declare to you that we certainly will." Maherero smiled. "I trust you will find us good partners."
"Why, this this is the last boost stage we needed we're going to launch!" Fenn shouted.
Drums, whistles, flying wings and flying feet went into a triumphant crescendo.
A hurricane formed in tropical mid-Pacific. Weather Control monitored the birth, analyzed a torrent of
data, and took action. There was no attempt to abort it. Giant storms were as vital to Earth's heat
balance, the health of the planet and the life thereon, as the steadiest current through air or ocean. But
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